Combination rail-joint and nut-lock.



H. H. CRUISE. COMBINATION RAIL JOINT A'ND NUT LOCK. APPLIQATION FILEDJUNE 20, 1910.

975,513. PatentedNov. 15,1910.

SES

tnvrrn HOMER H. CRUISE, F STARR, OHIO.

COMBINATION RAIL-JOINT AND NUT-LOCK.

Application filed June 20, 1910.

' citizen of the United States, residing at Starr, in the county ofHocking and State. of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Combination Rail- Joints and Nut-Locks, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to rail joints, and has for an object to providea joint adaptable for rails without the employment of bolts or nuts.

The invention has for another object to provide a joint which can bequickly and easily applied, a joint comprising but few interfittingparts, and one which will not become loose incident to the vibration ofthe rails.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to thefollowing description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is aside elevation of the improved joint, parts of the same being brokenaway. Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the same through one of thelocking keys. F 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the lockingrings employed. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of one of the keys.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all views of the accompanying drawing bythe same reference characters.

Referring to the drawing the numeral 10 designates a base-plate which isprovided longitudinally at one edge with an overhanging base-flange 11to receive therebeneath the base 12 of the rail. An upstanding flange 13forms the opposite termination of the base-plate 10. The flange 11carries a side-plate 14 engaging against one side of the web 15 of therail. A second side-plate 16 engages against the opposite side of theweb 15 and carries a base-flange 17 seated upon the upper face of thebase 12 and against the flange 13. The baseplate 12 is provided withspaced recesses in its opposite sides for the reception of spikes 18, orthe like, employed in securing the joint upon the tie 19. Theside-plates 14 and 16 and the webs 15 of the meeting rails are providedwith registering apertures which are spaced longitudinally in themembers and which are of elongated form as is disclosed at 20 in Fig. 1.The apertures 20 through the webs 15 of the rails are slightlySpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 15, 1916.

Serial No. 588,046.

elongated to admit of a free play of the rails when expanded andcontracted by changes in temperature.

Keys 21 are passed through the registering openings 20 having theirheads 22 engaging against the outer face of the sideplate 16. The outerends of the keys are slotted in their opposite sides as at 23 to formstops 24 spaced outwardly from the extremities of the bodies of thekeys. The keys 21 are flattened and are of substan tially ellipticalcross-section to engage loosely through the openings 20.

Locking rings 25 engage over the stops 24, the rings being ofsubstantially elliptical or oval form to pass snugly over the stops 24and to engage in the slots 23 by turning the rings 25 at right angles totheir initial positions. The locking rings 25 are longitudinally curvedthroughout their lengths to present yieldable convex outer faces seatingsnugly against the stops 24. The opposite ends of the locking rings 25rest against the outer face of the plate 14 and engage the stops 24 attheir central portions to hold the keys 21 in a locked position. Thelocking rings 25 are each provided with a tangential tongue 26 arrangedin substantially parallel relation with the major axis of the lockingring 25 and employed for holding the same from rotation when locked.

The plate 14 is provided with a plurality of horizontal ribs 27 havingoppositely sloping ends to form cam bearing faces, and which arerecessed as at 28 to receive the tongues 26, and to provide shoulders 29to engage and to hold the tongues 26 from movement. The ribs 27 may beformed upon the plate 16, if desired, to accommodate the keys 21 whenthey are inserted through the rail joint from the opposite sides of therails. It will be seen that the ribs 27 are disposed adjacent the upperedge of the plate 14 in mutual alinement with the openings 20 and in thepath of the tongues 26.

In securing the meeting ends of the rails the same are positioned uponthe base-plate 10 and engaged between the side-plates 14 and 16. Thekeys 21 are now passed through the openings 20 when the locking rings 25are engaged over the stops 24. The locking rings are pressed inwardly attheir central portions and are turned at right angles to seat within theslots 23 and against the inner faces of the stops 24. The tongues 26 arecarried over the cam faces of the ribs 27 during the rotation of therings 25 until the tongues 26 snap over the shoulders 29 and into therecesses 28 when the rings 25 are held from further movement.

Having thus described the invention What is claimed as new is 2- 1. Arail joint including a pair of sideplates engaging against the oppositesides of the meeting ends of the rails, keys engaging through the platesand rails and having slots formed at their opposite sides and adjacenttheir outer extremities to form stops thereon, locking rings engagingover the keys and behind the stops and having tongues for holding thesame in locked position, and locking ribs formed upon the outer face ofthe adjacent side-plate for the reception of the tongues of said lockingrings to hold the rings from rotation.

2. A rail joint including side-plates for engagement against theopposite sides of the adjoining ends of rails, keys engaging through theplates and the rails and being of substantially ellipticalcross-section, the

outer extremities of the keys being slotted in their opposite sides toform stops upon their extremities, locking rings of corre sponding formengaging over the keys and seating in the slots vvhen turned at rightangles, and retaining means carried by one of the sideplates andengaging with the rings for holding the same in a locked position.

3. A rail joint including side-plates eugaging against the sides of therail, keys engaging through the plates and being of substantiallyelliptical form in cross-section, said keys having stops upon theirouter ends, locking members engaging over the keys and against the stopsWhen turned upon the keys, and means carried by the adjacent one of saidside-plates to retain the locking members against the stops.

4. A rail joint including clamping plates engaging against the sides ofthe rail, keys engaging through the clamping plates and the rail andbeing of flattened form, the

keys having slots in their edges and adjacent their extremities to formstops outwardly of the adjacent side-plate, and looking means carried bythe adjacent plate and spaced keys loosely engaging through the clampingplates and the rail, locking members engaging over the outer ends of thekeys and adapted to interlock thereon upon the rotation of the keys, andlocking ribs formed upon the adjacent side-plate to in terlock With saidlocking members for holding the same from rotation.

6. A rail joint including a pair of clamping plates for engagementagainst the sides of a rail, flattened keys engaging through the platesand the rail, locking members engaging over the ends of the keys andagainst one of the plates to interlock With the keys upon the turning ofthe locking members at right angles, and ribs formed upon the outer face'01": the adjacent side-plate for interlocking engagement With saidlocking member to hold the same in position.

7. A rail joint including a pair of clamping plates for engagementagainst the sides of the meeting ends of the rails, flattened keysengaging through the plates and the rails and having heads formed upontheir outer extremities, convex locking rings engaging over the keys andadapted to seat against the inner faces of the heads upon the rotationof the rings, and locking means carried by the adjacent plate forholding the rings in a locked position.

8. A rail joint including a pair of clamping plates for engagementagainst the sides of the meeting ends of the rails, keys engagingthrough the plates and the rails and having heads formed upon theirouter extremities, locking rings engaging over the keys and seatingagainst the inner faces of the heads when turned at right angles, andlocking means carried by the adjacent one of said plates for holding therings from rotation.

In testimonyvvhereof, I atfix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HOMER H. CRUISE. [1,. sl

Witnesses C. C. CARTER, F. W. HARDEN.

